News: Setting the Pace - FIFA Benchmarking Report Women's Football

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• Setting The Pace: new report provides overview of elite women’s football at league and club level
• Document includes survey results from 30 leagues and 282 clubs on sporting, governance, finance, fan engagement and player-related topics
• Report aims to help guide key decisions shaping the future development and professionalisation of women’s football

Key findings include:

1. For leagues in which 80% or more participating clubs have a girls’ youth structure, the average national-team ranking is 13, compared to a ranking of 28 for all other leagues.
2. Leagues with both a club licensing system and financial controls have a higher proportion of clubs that are profitable or break even (36% v. 32%) and a higher average club revenue (USD 0.9m v. USD 0.3m).
3. In 65% of leagues surveyed, teams with the highest qualified coaches outperformed other teams, underlining the importance of coach education and development in the women’s game.
4. Clubs with better access to higher number and quality of facilities outperform other clubs in their league: 50% of teams with access to a set standard of higher number and quality facilities were league champions in the last five years, compared with only 23% for all other clubs.
5. Broadcasting women’s football on traditional and digital platforms represents a significant growth opportunity with broadcast income currently accounting for an average of 6% of revenue for clubs and 18% of revenue for leagues that were surveyed.
6. Teams offering a season ticket had higher average league attendances (1,400 v 1,000) and earned higher revenue (USD 0.8m v. USD 0.3m)
7. Clubs with a written strategy for women’s football tend to have higher average club revenue (USD 0.6m v. USD 0.3m), more facilities available to the first team and higher match attendances (1,400 v. 700)
8. Leagues that negotiate broadcast rights exclusively for the women’s league generate, on average, USD 0.7m revenue from broadcast compared with only USD 0.1m for other leagues that do not.
9. 72% of clubs reported that they negotiate some of their sponsorship contracts for the women’s team only. On average, these clubs achieved a higher total revenue and sponsorship revenue.
10. The clubs that generate the highest revenue (in excess of USD 1m) raise over half of it through sponsorship, compared to less than a third for clubs averaging revenue of less than USD 1m.

To access the FIFA Benchmarking Report: Women’s Football, please click HERE


(text above from FIFA page Media Release)

 

This study was from November 2020 which makes information about Japan players contracts and their sources of income bit outdated.
On 1st January 2021 players from 11 clubs of new WE League singned their new pro-contracts.
Base minimum wage:
contract type B and C is ~27k $/per year
contract type A is ~50k $/per year (w/ benefits it may even start from 67k $)
Each club is required of having at least 5 players with contracts type A

It basically makes WE League one of the best paid in women's football.

 

Yeah, it's totally . On the other hand because of this other leagues with bigger pay will start to attract better players and claim this title before long.

 

China clubs revenue is average 1.1 m $ but lookin at median is only 450k., which means that Jiangsu Suning (from this year without Suning group as sponsor) and Wuhan had seriously overgrown budgets compraring to all others.
Quarter of CWSL club revenue came form Association. Opearting costs were very high, on avg. 1.8 m $ (median 1.4 m). Only 30% of clubs broke even or were profitable (which is still better than in some other pro-leagues: FRA 20%, ENG 17%, AUS 0%, KOR 0%)

Semi-pro Nadeshiko League from Japan is on the other hand quite a standout.
1.7 m $ average club revenue with median 1.35 m $ shows more or less much more even spread of money. (and by extension league competitivness). Only 4% of club revenue comes from Association while 77% is obtained by sponsorship deals! Club operating costs are under 1.5 m $ on average but median is far less - "only" 900k $. Proportion of clubs that broke even or were profitable was 44% - which really bodes well for much more invested, fully pro WE League that started operating this year.

Yeah, Toppserien has some good numbers - 60% of it's clubs brake even or are profitable but at the same time it's worth to notice that over quarter of league revenue comes from NFF.

I'll take a look on numbers and make some table.

 

Some very rough table.
Values on average club revenue are listed accurately as written in report.
Those on median as well as club operating costs - both average and median are approximated by me from report graphic bars which are scaled in every 500k - so bear that in mind - especially smaller values are not 100% exact.


Note on average and median club revenue from report:

Data is shown if over half of the clubs in the league answered the question. Therefore, the average and the median shown in this chart compared to the real figures are subject to the financial context of these clubs. Some of the clubs individually might have significantly higher or lower revenues.

BE/P - Proportion of clubs that break even or are profitable
FA's, Sponsor $, TV money, Matchday $, Other $ - are type of club revenue in %
League status - Pro or CL - Club licensing
No. Teams - in parentheses current season

(UPDATED)

 

2022 EDITION​

• FIFA release second edition of Setting the Pace - the only women’s football benchmarking report of its kind, providing a comprehensive analysis into the elite women’s football landscape globally
  
  
• Report analyses 30 leagues and 294 clubs, providing administrators with tools to inform strategy and decision-making
  
  
• Report recognises growth and development in several key areas, with contributions from all six FIFA Confederations
  

Key findings of Setting the Pace 2022 include:

• 90% of leagues had a written strategy in 2022, compared to 79% in 2021.
• The number of leagues with a title sponsor has grown over the past year, with 77% of leagues having a title sponsor in 2022, up 11% from 2021.
• Ten leagues indicated that they secured broadcast revenue in 2021, compared to nine in 2020. Of the leagues that receive broadcast revenue, 90% have a club licensing system.
• Clubs with written women’s football strategies tend to perform better both on and off the pitch. 78% of clubs that won their league in the past three seasons had a written strategy, compared to 65% for those that didn’t.
• In 2022, there has been encouraging signs regarding revenue growth. 7% of all clubs generated greater than USD 1m of revenue from matchday, broadcast, commercial, and prize money sources, while clubs recorded year-on-year commercial revenue growth of 33%. In turn, leagues have experienced year-on-year growth of 24% in commercial revenues. Both positive trends clearly highlight the improved commercialisation and ability to attract sponsors despite the global pandemic and uncertain global economy.

• Clubs spending more than USD 100,000 on marketing and activation also have proven to generate on average much higher commercial revenues (USD 1,100,000) than those spending less than USD 100,000. This demonstrates the virtuous cycle of commercial growth, allowing women’s football to unlock its full commercial potential.
• International transfer fees in professional women’s football hit a new record of USD 2.1m in 2021, an increase of 73% on 2020.
• Clubs have witnessed strong growth in merchandising sales over the past year. Over half of the clubs analysed sell women’s cuts online, and over a third sell men’s cuts (up from 18% previously). Clubs that don’t sell merchandise on matchday generated significantly less commercial revenue (USD 116,000 in 2021) than those that do (USD 311,000).
• Having player representation can be a positive force in improving player welfare. Where leagues have player representation (27 of 30 leagues), almost half have minimum salary requirements compared to a third for those that don’t.

To access the FIFA Benchmarking Report: Women’s Football, please click highlighted link in text above or HERE

(from FIFA page MEDIA RELEASE)

 

'Setting the Pace' FIFA Benchmarking Report 2023 (3rd Edition)

FIFA has unveiled the third edition of 'Setting the Pace', the only global women’s football benchmarking report that offers unparalleled insights into the factors driving success in women's football clubs and leagues worldwide. The publication provides an opportune moment to spotlight the extraordinary growth and development in elite women's football.

This year's edition has been enriched with data from 34 of the top women's football leagues (up from 30 leagues in previous editions). The report boasts participation from 316 clubs, making it a comprehensive analysis with global trends and local statistics across diverse leagues representing the six confederations.

Key findings

• 63% Of leagues required coaches to hold a Pro or A Licence, and 69% of clubs exceeded these requirements by holding an A Licence or above.
• 70% Of clubs had academies that include girls, with an average number of 78 girls in each academy
• 79% Of leagues have adopted club licensing systems, up from 66% in the previous edition
• 2.7m Leagues with dedicated commercial strategies reported substantially higher commercial revenues, averaging USD 2.7 million, compared to those without (USD 1.1 million)
• 65% Of clubs and 56% of leagues have staff members overseeing safeguarding matters and policies
• 100k Average broadcast revenue generated by clubs has surpassed USD 100,000 for the first time
• 12% Average attendance across the surveyed leagues grew by around 12% since the previous edition, reaching 1,127 in the 2021-2022 season
• 35% Of all clubs offered a women's team season ticket (either for the women’s team only or alongside the affiliated men’s team)
• 1-1.5 yrs. The median player contract length ranged from 1-1.5 years, with 34% having contracts less than 12 months. The average salary paid per player across all clubs increased year-on-year from USD 14,000 to USD 16,825.
• 76% Of clubs provide some form of support for players pursuing or sustaining dual careers

To access the FIFA Benchmarking Report: Women’s Football, please click highlighted link in text above or HERE